US Senator Manchin to oppose Julie Su’s nomination as labor secretary

By Nandita Bose and David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Manchin said on Thursday he would oppose the nomination of Julie Su as labor secretary, arguing her “progressive background” would prevent her from forging compromises between labor and industry representatives. Manchin said in a statement the labor secretary “should have the experience to…

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US lawmakers make bipartisan push for psychedelics research in defense bill

By Moira Warburton WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on Thursday pushed to include a provision allowing medical research of psychedelic drugs as part of a sweeping annual defense policy bill, saying it could help treat post-traumatic stress disorder and other ailments despite possible concerns. “These are powerful substances, I don’t want…

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US bans former Panama president for ‘significant corruption,’ Blinken says

By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States has banned former Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez from entering the U.S. for his “involvement in significant corruption,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday. “Today, I am announcing the designation of former Panamanian President, Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez as generally ineligible for entry…

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US trade group blasts Canada for refusal to extend digital services tax freeze

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S.-based National Foreign Trade Council on Thursday blasted Canada for its refusal to back a global agreement to hold off on implementing digital services taxes for at least another year, and said the move could invite retaliation. NFTC President Jake Colvin said he welcomed news from the OECD that most countries…

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US FTC opens investigation into OpenAI over misleading statements – document

(Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into OpenAI on claims it has run afoul of consumer protection laws by putting personal reputations and data at risk, the strongest regulatory threat to the Microsoft-backed startup yet. The FTC this week sent a 20-page demand for records about how OpenAI — the maker…

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